Stick organizer

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a hockey stick organizer comprising a vertical sleeve mounted on a wall. Hockey sticks are inserted, butt end first, into the top of the sleeve until the butt end rests on the floor and are kept upright by the sleeve. The sleeve is, preferably, circular or D-shaped in cross-section and is large enough to support a number of hockey sticks. The sleeve may be releasably mounted to the wall.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of stick organizers and, moreparticularly, hockey stick organizers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The storage of hockey sticks is a problem for the average household.Hockey sticks have angled blades and do not store easily in a corner oragainst a wall. Their shape causes them to continually slide down ontothe floor and create a hazard for a person to stumble or trip over.

There are known devices for storing or organizing hockey sticks but theyare either too complicated to use, too expensive to manufacture orpurchase or require too much physical space in the average household.Young people, particularly children, are not likely to take the time oreffort required to use a device that is complicated to use.

There is, therefore, a need for a hockey stick organizer that will holda number of hockey sticks yet is simple to install and use as well asbeing inexpensive to manufacture and purchase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with a hockey stick organizer thatattaches to a wall and will simply and effectively store a number ofhockey sticks.

The present invention is a tubular sleeve that has a passageway thatextends from one end of the sleeve to the other. The passageway ispreferably D-shaped or circular in cross-section although othercross-sectional shapes, such as rectangular or triangular, may be used.The sleeve itself is preferably made of plastic, such aspolyvinylchloride (“PVC”) and may be manufactured using an extrusion orinjection molding process.

The sleeve is of an appropriate length and is preferably 12 to 18 inchesin length. The sleeve is attached to a wall with the passagewaysubstantially vertical although the sleeve can be tilted off vertical ifvertical storage of hockey sticks is not required.

Hockey sticks are inserted into the top end of the sleeve, butt endfirst, so that the butt end will rest on the floor and the blades of thesticks are sticking upright out of the sleeve. The sleeve is mounted onthe wall at an appropriate height to prevent the sticks from fallingover or sliding out from the bottom of the sleeve and to keep the stickssecure against the wall.

The sleeve has a cross-sectional area of a size that will accommodate anumber of sticks thereby allowing sticks to be added to or removed fromthe sleeve without dislodging other sticks held by the sleeve.

The sleeve may be mounted to a wall in a number of ways. In oneembodiment, the sleeve is attached to a wall using two screws, one atthe top and bottom ends of the sleeve, extending through the sidewallfrom the passageway into the wall. In another embodiment, a mountingblock having a dovetail recess is screwed to a wall and a correspondingmounting plate having a dovetail key is attached to the sleeve. Thedovetail key releasably attaches to and interlocks with the dovetailrecess of the mounting block. In this embodiment, the sleeve clips ontothe mounting block to hold sticks during the hockey season and may beremoved from the mounting block once the hockey season has ended.

Broadly stated, the present invention is a stick organizer comprising asleeve having first and second ends, each end having an opening, saidsleeve having a sidewall defining a passageway extending there betweensaid openings, and means for attaching said sleeve to a wall, whereuponattaching said sleeve to said wall at a predetermined height off of afloor such that said passageway is substantially vertical, and whereuponplacing a stick through said passageway of said sleeve, said stickhaving an end resting on said floor, said sleeve keeps said stick fromfalling down.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a third embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5A is an isometric view of the mounting block used in a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B is an isometric view of the mounting plate used in a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a fifth embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a sixth embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the present invention mounted on a walland supporting a number of hockey sticks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is concerned with a hockey stick organizer thatattaches to a wall. Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment oforganizer 10 is shown. Organizer 10 comprises of a half circular ofD-shaped sleeve 12 that forms passageway 13. Sleeve 12 has back wall 15adjoining front sidewall 17.

Sleeve 12 is preferably made of a high-impact resistant plastic. Sleeve12 may be injection molded or a piece of extruded plastic, both methodsof construction well known to those skilled in the art. Preferably,sleeve 12 is 12 to 18 inches in length.

Passageway 13 is of a cross-sectional area suitable for accommodating anumber of hockey sticks and allows easy insertion and removal of sticksfrom organizer 10. Back 15 of sleeve 12 is preferably 4 to 6 inches widewith frontwall 17 having a radius of 3 to 4 inches.

Sleeve 12 may be mounted to a wall using screws. Backwall 15 hasmounting holes 14, near the top and bottom, for a fastener 16 to passthrough and into the wall to secure sleeve 12.

Referring to FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment of sleeve 12 is shownhaving mounting tabs 18 on the top and bottom edges of back 15. Each tab18 has a mounting hole 20. By including tabs 18 on back 15, fastener 16may be driven straight into the wall through mounting holes 20.

Referring to FIG. 3, another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is shown. In this embodiment, organizer 10 has a sleeve 22that is circular in cross-section and has two mounting holes 26 forfastener 16. To allow unobstructed access to holes 26, sleeve 22 hascutaways 24 to allow a screwdriver to engage fastener 16 straight oninstead of at an angle.

Referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the present invention isshown with sleeve 22 having mounting tabs 28, each tab 28 having amounting hole 30 for receiving a fastener 16. Tabs 28 extend beyond thetop and bottom edges of sleeve 22 to allow unobstructed access tofastener 16.

Referring to FIGS. 5A, 5B and 6, another preferred embodiment ofmounting organizer 10 is shown. A mounting block 32 is provided whichhas a dovetail recess 34. Block 32 is mounted to a wall with fastener 16passing through holes 36 and 40. Hole 40 is located in relief of 38 onthe front service of block 32. A corresponding plate 42 having adovetail key 44 is attached to backwall 15 of sleeve 12. Plate 42 may beattached using adhesive or may be formed with sleeve 12 during theinjection molding process.

As shown in FIG. 6, sleeve 12 is releasably attached to block 32 bysliding key 44 of plate 42 into recess 34 thereby securing sleeve 12 tothe wall. During hockey season, sleeve 12 is attached to block 32 tohold hockey sticks and when the season is over, sleeve 12 is simplylifted up and removed from block 32 for storage.

To store hockey sticks using organizer 10, a hockey stick is inserted,butt end first, into passageway 13 from the top until the butt end isresting on the floor. Organizer 10 is mounted to the wall at a heightsuitable for supporting the hockey stick. Preferably, organizer 10 ismounted at a height approximately 35 to 40 inches from the floor. Thisis illustrated in FIG. 9.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a D-shaped orcircular sleeve but other cross-sectional shapes may be used as well.Sleeve 12 may be triangular, as shown in FIG. 7, or rectangular as shownin FIG. 8.

While the present invention was intended for use in organizing hockeysticks, the present invention will also have use in organizing otherstick-like objects such as canes, walking sticks, umbrellas, poles andloose golf clubs, to name but a few.

Although a few preferred embodiments have been shown and described, itwill be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various change andmodifications might be made without departing from the scope of theinvention. The terms and expressions in the preceding specification havebeen used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, andthere is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions ofexcluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portionsthereof, it being recognized as the scope of the invention as definedand limited only by the claims that follow.

1. A stick organizer, comprising: a sleeve having first and second ends,each end having an opening, said sleeve having a sidewall defining apassageway extending therebetween said openings; and means for attachingsaid sleeve to a wall, whereupon attaching said sleeve to said wall at apredetermined height off of a floor such that said passageway issubstantially vertical, and whereupon placing a stick through saidpassageway of said sleeve, said stick having an end resting on saidfloor, said sleeve keeps said stick from falling down.
 2. The stickorganizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for attaching saidsleeve comprises: said sleeve having at least one opening extendedthrough said sidewall of said sleeve, said opening suitable for afastener to pass through; and a fastener for passing through saidopening from the passageway and fastening said sleeve to said wall. 3.The stick organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means forattaching said sleeve comprises: a mounting block for attaching to saidwall, said block having a recess for receiving a key; and a mountingplate for attaching to said sleeve, said plate having a key adapted toreleasably attach to an interlock with said recess of said mountingblock whereupon attaching said plate to said sleeve and attaching saidblock to said wall, and whereupon interlocking said key of said platewith said recess of said block, said block secures said sleeve to saidwall.
 4. The stick organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidpassageway of said sleeve is D-shaped in cross-section.
 5. The stickorganizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said passageway of said sleeveis circular in cross-section.
 6. The stick organizer as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said passageway of said sleeve is rectangular in crosssection.
 7. The stick organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidpassageway of said sleeve is triangular in cross section.
 8. The stickorganizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve is apre-determined length of extruded plastic.
 9. The stick organizer saidforth in claim 1 wherein said stick is a hockey stick.
 10. The stickorganizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stick is a cane.
 11. Thestick organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stick is anumbrella.